Indian River County Commission cans plans to put water question to only South Beach voters

INDIAN RIVER COUNTY — South Beach voters won't be asked in November whether they favor switching from Vero Beach to the county for lesser-priced water and sewer when the city franchise expires in 2017.

But South Beach property owners — plus some mainland property owners outside city limits — will be getting that question instead, county commissioners agreed this week.

"Property owners would be more directly affected than perhaps tenants," County Attorney Alan Polackwich said Tuesday.

County commissioners already have told the City Council they're not interested in renewing the 30-year franchise that allowed the city to serve the Moorings area and certain other county neighborhoods. But City Manager Jim O'Connor said Wednesday that doesn't mean the city won't be able to serve those areas.

"Holding a franchise is not the same as our ability to serve," he said. "The franchise just allows us to collect a 6 percent franchise fee for the county. By state law, we would still be able to serve that area because we're the established service."

Polackwich, however, argued the city won't be able to serve customers in the county after 2017 without a new franchise. But before it expires, he said, the county wants to know what the people think.

County commissioners in February agreed to add a nonbinding referendum question on the Nov. 6 ballot for 3,087 voters on the barrier island, south of the city, asking if they would prefer county service.

By using a mail survey, Polackwich said, the county could reach commercial owners who might not vote in the single South Beach precinct, as well as winter visitors who own residential property there but vote up north.

In addition, he said, the city serves water and sewer to 1,483 addresses on the mainland in the county. But unlike South Beach residents, Polackwich said, those on the mainland are not in a single voting precinct.

"They make up portions of several precincts," he said, adding it would have been impossible to put referendums on only their ballots.

Polackwich said it would cost about $5,000 to $7,000 to print and send out the mail survey forms, but said they won't be restricted to yes-no questions the way a referendum would be.

He said he would draft the question and return in a future meeting to get the commission's approval, as well as the timing for the mail survey.